Inquest jury retires to consider verdict into death of Pontefract grandmother killed after being impaled by a tree branch

Elaine Davison. PIC: Ross Parry

Ricky Charlesworth

Published:11:31Tuesday 20 June 2017

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The jury at the inquest into the death of Elaine Davison, the Pontefract grandmother who was killed after being impaled by a tree branch, has been sent out this morning.

Mrs Davison, 55, suffered fatal injuries when she was pierced through the chest by a 13ft branch on Aberford Road on November 11, 2010.

She had been to visit her daughter in hospital with her husband Edward, who was driving the couple’s Vauxhall Zafira, when the car was struck by a falling tree outside St Peter’s Church.

She died in hospital and a post mortem report later confirmed that Mrs Davison died of an abdominal hemorrhage.

The seven women and four men of the jury were asked by senior coroner David Hinchliff to consider by what means Mrs Davison died and the conclusions by which she met her death.

They were also asked by Mr Hinchliff to consider nine key points, including “Was the tree showing signs of disease that caused it to fall?” and “Have you identified individual failures which were responsible for Elaine’s death?”.